Monday, 3 July 2017

Amongst the most famous places in Bihar is Gaya, which is a Hindu pilgrimage hub and a transit point for Buddhist pilgrimage centre of Bodhgaya. It is believed that it was here under the tree that Buddha attained enlightenment. Gaya is a busy city situated on the bank of River Phalgu and it is replete with many temples and historic sites dating back to different eras that stand as the evidence to the successful rule of Maurya and Gupta dynasty here. The glory of Gaya was extended so much so that even Hiuen Tsang could not resist mentioning it in his travelogues.

2: Sasaram

If you're traveling from Bodhgaya to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, it's worth stopping at Sasaram to see Emperor Sher Shah Suri's mausoleum. In ancient times, before Mughal rulers shifted it to Delhi, Bihar used to be the center of power. Many Sufi saints came to the region, and attracted pilgrims with their liberal mindsets and humanistic preaching. You'll find numerous sacred tombs of Muslim rulers in Bihar. The one belonging to Emperor Sher Shah Suri is among the most elaborately constructed. It sits in the middle of a large artificial lake.

Location: 120 Kilometers (75 miles) east of Bodhgaya and 155 kilometers (96 miles) southwest of Patna. It's about halfway between Bodhgaya and Varanasi.

3: NALANDA

Nalanda, renowned for its ancient monastic university, is a place hallowed by the memory of the Buddha. Nalanda university had 4 gates and at every gate the Janitor used to the an enlightened man who used to take interview before giving the permission to enter the campus of the university. At every gate there used to be the temple of Buddha. The temples floor was made by Mica stone and copper plate for light in the temple. The theory of reflection was used for the purpose. There was improved drainage system in the university. There were 52 lakes out of which 12 lakes have been found. Statues here were made of clay, lime and Shirki. The bricks used at the university has the dimension 12-8-2 inch. Nalanda is among top tourist places to visit in Bihar.

4: PATNA

Beneath the din and bustle of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, has a fascinating past. And in each chapter of its history, it has been crowned by a new name- Kusumpur, Pushpapur, Patliputra and Azeemabad.

Turning over the pages of early Indian history one comes across the name of the pre-eminent city of Patliputra. Located at the site where Patna is today, this city saw the rise and fall of India’s first major kingdoms. Its period of glory spanned a thousand years, from 6th century BC to 6th century AD.

Ajatsatru, second in the line of Magadha kings, built a small fort at Pataligram at the confluence of rivers Ganga and Sone. This later became the famous Mauryan metropolis of Patliputra and was ruled by Chandragupta Maurya ( a contemporary of Alexander), and his grandson Ashoka, acclaimed for the spread of Buddhism. Other emperors who ruled from Patna were the Gupta and Pala kings, Sher Shah Suri (16th century) and Azimush-Shan (18th century), grandson of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb who renamed it Azeemabad.

Today, Patna is an important business centre of eastern India. More significantly, it is a gateway to the Buddhist and Jain pilgrim centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodhgaya and Pawapuri. It qualifies as one of the best tourist places to visit in Bihar.

5: Rajgir

The first capital of the kingdom of Magadha and a notable city in Buddhism and Jainism, also one of the favorite places for Mahavira and Gautama Buddha. Rajgir is famous for its hot water springs, Griddhraj Parvat,Buddhas cave and the Jain temples on the five peaks.

6: Golghar

The Golghar or Gol Ghar is a granary in Stupa architecture style and offers a wonderful panoramic view of the city and the Ganges river. Golghar or Round house was the tallest building in Patna,located to the west of the Gandhi Maidan.

7: Patna Museum

Patna Museum also known as Jadu Ghar is a Mughal style Rajput architecture building and served as state museum of state of Bihar. The Museum include archaeological objects,art objects, paintings, coins and textiles.

8: Gandhi Maidan

The Patna Lawns or Gandhi Maidan is a historic ground at Patna near the banks of Ganges River and has the World’s tallest statue of Mahatma Gandhi,a 70-feet tall bronze statue and Kargil Chowk War memorial is also situated near by.